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WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID?

Mental Health First Aid is a public education program that introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health concerns, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments. The course uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis; select interventions and provide initial help; and connect persons to professional, peer and social supports as well as self-help resources.

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID AT CONFERENCE ‘16

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID INSTRUCTOR SUMMIT

Join us on Sunday, March 6 at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas for the yearly Mental Health First Aid Instructor Summit. The Summit is a unique opportunity for accomplished instructors and those new to Mental Health First Aid to come together to learn from experts on various topics, share best practices on building a successful program and be inspired by leaders in the movement.

This year the summit features two parts.

  • Part 1, 8:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., focuses on the existing instructor – their successes and their needs.
  • Part 2, 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., is open to everyone and builds on the perspective of the experienced instructors present and includes talks by Betty Kitchener and Dr. Anthony Jorm – the founders of this international movement – and two passionate advocates for intervention and mental wellness, Officer Kevin Briggs, CHP, Retired, and Kevin Hines, suicide attempt survivor and wellness advocate. The afternoon session includes a special workshop for those new to Mental Health First Aid on starting a successful program.

The Summit is free, but registration is required. Register today to ensure your spot.

 

Staying for the Conference? Keep an eye out for these workshops on Mental Health First Aid!

Monday, March 7 – Going Down Under: Exploring the Origins and Research Behind Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid is now in more than 25 countries and has trained a million people worldwide, but it all started in Melbourne, Australia over 15 years ago. The international program founders will talk about the genesis and process of growing the program over the years with particular focus on curriculum development and outcomes research.

Tuesday, March 8 – CIT International and Mental Health First Aid: Building a Complementary Partnership to Support Public Safety Professionals
Training for Public Safety professionals in how to respond to individuals experiencing mental illness and substance use disorders is more and more important every day, but what is the best solution? This workshop will focus on the genesis, design and effectiveness of the two most common programs – Crisis Intervention Training [CIT] and Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety.

Tuesday, March 8 – The Unusual Suspects: Bringing Youth Mental Health First Aid into Unique Settings
This children’s track workshop features Project AWARE grantees that are using the funding to roll-out Youth Mental Health First Aid with unique groups and partnering with community stakeholders.